Medical staff treat a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient in their isolation room on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, U.S., January 4, 2022.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
Covid hospitalizations surge across the U.S. as students return to school and fall vaccination campaigns begin.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new hospitalizations in the U.S. have increased by 16% in the past week. Several states, including Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming, experienced a spike of over 30% in new hospital admissions.
This spike comes after a year of declining hospitalizations and deaths. Dr. Deborah Birx, former White House coronavirus response coordinator, criticized the nation’s response to the summer wave, stating that Covid is being ignored and proper testing is not being conducted.
Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are set to release updated shots this month for the fall vaccination campaign. However, the public health response is struggling to keep up with the evolving virus. The shots were designed to target a variant, XBB.1.5, that is no longer dominant. The U.S. should already be developing new shots to target the emerging BA.2.86 variant.
Lab studies conducted in China found that BA.2.86 has mutations that allow it to evade vaccination and previous infection. While subsequent studies suggest it may not be as immune-evasive as originally feared, the U.S. should still be prepared for a winter surge. The CDC states that the updated shots should be effective at reducing severe disease and hospitalization from the variant.
The rise in Covid transmission is causing disruption, with some school districts canceling classes due to a surge in respiratory illnesses. First lady Jill Biden has also tested positive for Covid, while President Joe Biden has tested negative. Dr. Birx criticizes the CDC’s decision to stop tracking cases and relies mainly on hospitalization data. She warns that the U.S. should expect a winter surge and should be making vaccines to prepare.
‘It’s not going to be a tsunami’
Dr. Anthony Fauci reassures that despite the rise in Covid cases, the number of hospitalizations and deaths remains low due to vaccination and prior infection. He does not expect a surge similar to previous waves. However, there are still disruptions in communities, with some school districts canceling classes. The virus has also affected the White House once again, with first lady Jill Biden testing positive.
Dr. Birx criticizes the CDC’s reliance on hospitalization data and emphasizes the need for proper testing and monitoring of the virus. She predicts a winter surge and urges the U.S. to be prepared.
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